Tensioning device



Dec. 14, 1965 L. J. ZERBEE 3,223,126

TENSIONING DEVICE Filed Oct. 29, 1963 IN VEN TOE. LOUIS J ZE'EBEE United States Patent 3,223,126 TENSIGNING DEVICE Louis J. Zerbee, 301 Chillicothe Ave., Bellefontaine, Ohio Filed Oct. 29, 1963, Ser. No. 319,779 6 Claims. (Cl. 140-3) This invention pertains to a tensioning device and more particularly to a tensioning device for tensioning wire, cords, rope, cable and the like.

In weaving wire for use in wire screen, it is necessary to tension the wire drawn from bobbins or reels. One method that has been used utilizes a large steel drum with a smooth cylindrical surface, which drum is driven so as to meter the wire. In order to prevent slippage, it usually requires several convoluticns around the drum of each wire used as a warp wire.

It is an object of this invention to provide a groove in which the warp wire is seated, the wall of the groove providing ample friction to tension the wire.

Another object of this invention is to provide a helical groove throughout substantially the entire length of the drum, so that the same drum may accommodate a number of spaced warp wires, the tensioned portion of each warp wire shifting the warp wire approaching the drum to an adjacent groove, this taking place approximately once during each revolution, so that the wire will not travel along the drum to the end thereof.

Another object of this invention is to provide a method of shifting the warp wire approaching the groove of the drum to an adjacent groove.

Other objects and advantages reside in the construction of parts, the combination thereof, the method of manufacture and the mode of operation, as will become more apparent from the following description.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a drum.

FIGURE 2 is a schematic top plan view showing the wire tensioning device as viewed in the direction of the arrows 2-2 shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of the drum in the vicinity of the brackets 3-3 in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of the drum, showing a wire laid in a groove.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of the woven screen, drawn to an enlarged scale.

The tensioning device has been shown in association with a loom, although it may be used in tensioning wire supplied to a coil winding machine, to a fence wire manufacturing machine and for numerous other purposes.

With the exception of the wire tensioning device, the loom disclosed in this application is similar to the loom disclosed in my United States Letters Patent No. 2,383,903 dated August 28, 194-5. That being the case, only the portions of the loom pertaining to the manipulation of the warp wires will be briefly described.

Referring to the drawing, and particularly to FIGURE 1, the wires 20 form the warp of the wire screen or web 22 that is woven from wire. The wires 20 are supplied to the loom from spools or bobbins, not shown, there being one spool for each warp wire. F or the purpose of illustration, if a screen is 36" wide and if the warp wires are spaced M3 on centers, 289 spools or bobbins will be required. The spools are supported upon suitable racks, not shown. The warp wires are spliced, as fully described in my Patent No. 2,383,903. The tensioning device for the warp wires will be described more fully hereafter.

The warp wires, after passing through the tensioning device, pass through two groups of heddles 30 and 32. These heddles, as shown in FIGURE 1, cooperate to cause the Warp wires 20 to form a shed 34. The weft wire may be laid in by hand, or inserted automatically, as disclosed in my United States Letters Patent No, 2,383,903.

After the weft wire is in position, the beater 40, which is mounted upon a link 42 pivotally attached at 44 to the frame 46, is actuated by a link 50 having one end pivotally attached at 52 to a gear 54 and having the other end attached at 56 to the link 42. The gear 54 is fixedly mounted upon a shaft 60 driven through a series of gears 62, 64 and 66, the latter gear being mounted upon a shaft 68, which shaft is driven through a V-belt pulley 70. The V-belt pulley 70 is driven through a V-belt 72 passing over a pulley 74 mounted on the armature shaft of an electric motor 80. The beater forces the Weft wire into the bight of the shed 34, during which time the heddles 30 and 32 are reciprocated by means of a pair of levers and 92 driven by cam sectors 94 and 96 to close one shed and to open a succeeding shed receiving the succeeding weft wire. The warp wires are tensioned by a tensioning device that will now be described.

This tensioning device includes a suitable device, such as an apertured bar 100, the warp wires passing through apertures in the bar 100, so thatthe warp wires are properly spaced. Due to the fact that the warp wires are wound upon spools which form a support for the wire supply, the warp wires 20 have a tendency to coil. Means are provided to remove the coil of the warp wires. This wire straightening means includes a series of rollers 102 (only two rollers having been shown), causing the warp wires to travel through a tortuous path. It may be desirable to use a half dozen or more of such rollers in order to properly straighten the wire.

The warp wires then pass around a large drum 110. This drum is provided with a series of substantially annular convolutions of a groove 112. In the embodiment shown, these grooves are helical, so as to simulate screw threads. As may be clearly seen in FIGURE '3, where only one warp wire 20 has been shown, the warp wire travels in the groove 112 in the direction of an arrow and the drum 110 is positively driven in the same direction. As can be clearly seen in FIGURE 4, the diameter of the warp wire 20 is substantially equal to the maximum width of each groove 112. The warp wire 20, being positioned in the groove 112, the drum 110 functions in a manner similar to a V-belt pulley, in that the wire is, so to speak, wedged into the sides of the groove 112. If, for example, the warp wire is .041 in diameter, the maximum width of the groove may be .043.

As clearly shown in FIGURE 4, the wire is supported near the outer apices of the groove 112.

A pair of gears are attached to the ends of the drum to rotate the same. These gears 120 are driven through pinions 122 mounted upon a shaft 124 which is driven at the proper speed through a gear reducing mechanism shown in the gear box 126. The gears in the gear box are driven through a suitable shaft 128, from the electric motor 80 and in synchronism with the train of gears driving the beater and the heddles. If, for example, the weft wires in the screen are spaced A3 apart, the drum 110 meters out Me" of the warp wires for each weft wire.

As can be seen by referring to FIGURE 5, the warp wires in the screen are substantially sinusoidal. This clearly indicates that the length of a piece of warp wire extending from A to B (the centers of adjacent weft wires) is greater than As" if the weft wires are spaced A3 apart on centers.

In addition to the Warp wires being tensioned by the drum 110, the warp wires pass through a brake mechanism that prevents the warp wires from loosening up on the drum 110 when the heddles 30 and 32 are shifted from one position to another. At a particular interval of time when a shed has been completely closed, the warp wires may be extended in a straight line from the last wire.

as though anon-rotatable nut were mounted upon'a drum when the drum'is rotated. However, this is not the case, in that the end of the weft wire a is much tighter or has 'far-moretension than the warp wire 20b advancing toward the drum. The end 20a transfers the approaching wire 20b into an adjacent groove, as clearly shown in FIGURE 3. Thereby, the warp wire will not advance toward one end but will remain in a narrow zone. Such a retarding transfer occurs approximately once for each revolution. This holds true irrespective'of whether warp wires are wrapped once or more times around the drum 110. At the present time, in actual practice, each warp wire is wrapped twice around the drum, in order to obtain adequate tension on the warp wires during the weaving operation. 'If two convolutions are used for each warp wire, the tensioned end 20a will, at the proper time, transfer the approaching portion of the warp wire 2% into an adjacent groove, to thereby retard the advancement of the warp wires along the drum to retain the warp wires in narrow zones. The width of each zone, when thewarp wires are wrapped twice around the drum, will be on the order of three times the diameter of the -Within the purview of this invention, parallel grooves may be used.

Although the'preferred embodiment of the device has been described, it will be understood that within the'purview of this invention various changes may be made in the form, details, proportion and arrangement of parts, the combination thereof and mode of operation, which generallystated consist in a device capable of carrying out the objects set forth, as disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a wire tensi-oning device, the combination of a cylindrical 'drum provided with a helical groove surrounding the outer surface thereof, said groove having inclined walls supporting a wire to 'be tensioned, the maximum width of the groove'being substantially equal to the diameter of the wire, with means for driving-the drum for feeding the wire.

2. In a'wire tensioning device, the combination of a cylindrical drum having a continuous helical grooveprovided with inclined walls having one convolution of-a wire positioned therein, the tensioned end of the wire .periodicallyshoving theapproaching wire into an adjacent groove, with means for driving the drum for feeding wire.

3. A warp wire feeding device for use with a loorn for weaving wire screen, said loom having heddles and a heater, said wire feeding device .includinga drum. having a helical groove extending substantially throughout the length thereof, in which groove the warp wire is positioned, the maximum width of the groove being slightly greater than the diameter of the wire so that the wire contacts the walls of the groove near the-apices thereof, means for driving the drum at substantially thesame peripheral velocities required for weaving the wire screen.

4. A warp wire feed device according to claim 3, wherein brake means are positioned between the drum and the heater for preventing the retraction of the warp wire to the drum when shifting the heddles.

5. A warp wire feeding device for use in a loom having heddles and a heater for use in weaving screen wire, said warp wire feeding device including'a positively'driven drum having a helical groove extending substantially throughout the length thereof, the width of the helical groove being slightly larger than the diameter of the wire so that the warp wire seated in the groove contacts the sidesof the groovenear the apices thereof, the advance end of the wire extending from the drum to the heddles and the beater being under-greater tensionthan the warp wire approaching the drum, so-that'as the wire leaves the helical groove it contacts the approaching portion of the wire, the portion of the warp wire leaving the drum shoving the approaching warp wire intoan adjacentgroove thereby retarding the advancement of the warp wirealong the axial length of the drum.

6. A Warp wire feedingdevicefor use in a loomhaving heddles and a beater for usein weaving screen wire, said warp wire feeding device including a positively driven drum having a helical groove extending substantially throughout the "lengththereof, the width ofthe helical groove being slightly larger than the diameter of the Wire so that the warp wire seated in'the groove contacts'the :sides of the groove near'the apices thereof, the .advance portion of the warp wire leaving the drum ahead of the approaching portion ofthe'warp wire, said portion of the warp wire extending from the drurnthrough'theiheddles being under greater tension than the approachingportion of the warp wire so that as'thewarp'wire is. fed to the loom the warp' wire leaving the'drumshoves'theapproaching portion -of the Wire into an adjacent groovethereby confining the Warp wire toa'zone onthe'drum.

References" Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,781,817 11/4930 Kenyon 13'9.109 2,530,407 11/ 1950 Smith 29-127 2,768,796 .10/1956 Levine 242--1'55 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,006,902 1/195 2 France.

"CHARLES-W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner, 

1. IN A WIRE TENSIONING DEVICE, THE COMBINATION OF A CYLINDRICAL DRUM PROVIDED WITH A HELICAL GROOVE SURROUNDING THE OUTER SURFACE THEREOF, SAID GROOVE HAVING INCLINED WALLS SUPPORTING A WIRE TO BE TENSIONED, THE MAXIMUM WIDTH OF THE GROOVE BEING SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE DIAMETER OF THE WIRE, WITH MEANS FOR DRIVING THE DRUM FOR FEEDING THE WIRE. 